I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to utility knives, and more specifically to a novel carriage for a utility knife that provides for improved accuracy and consistency in cutting materials.
II. Background
Utility knives are used every day for general purposes such as cutting paper, cartons, packages, cloth, twine, and envelopes. The prior art utility knives are typically sufficient for making short cuts. However, construction workers use utility knives to cut dry wall, wall paper or carpet, for example, that requires relatively long straight consistent cuts. The failure to make a straight cut results in waste and poor workmanship.
Another shortcoming of the prior art utility knives is that the amount of pressure applied by an inexperienced user when making a cut is not consistent. This leads to either a cut that is too shallow and incomplete or a cut that is too deep and damages the underlying material. Accordingly, what is needed in the art is a utility knife that can apply constant pressure to the blade regardless of the user's skill.
There are numerous utility knives on the market today that are variations from the standard fixed blade utility knife. Continuing efforts are being made to improve utility knives. By way of example, note U.S. Pat. No. 4,868,985 to Rehm that discloses a utility knife that provides for a blade that extends out of the housing when beginning a cut and automatically retracts at the end of the cutting operation. Rehm is directed to the safety of a user and the device itself to avoid personal injuries. It is not directed to improved accuracy and consistency in cutting as the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,884,342 to McNamara et al. discloses a utility knife with a wheel that is displaced proximate to the blade. The wheel is used to guide the blade over the cutting surface. However, the aforementioned teachings do not provide a mechanism by which a user can make a long straight cut in the field of a planar material or is adaptable to be used with a variety of tools other than a knife.
Notwithstanding the existence of such prior art utility knives, there is a need for an improved utility knife that will provide improved accuracy and consistency in cutting to increase efficiency and reduce waste.